This episode’s summary got me really excited and I wondered why I’ve never re-watched this episode. Then I watched and realized this episode is only OK.

Jack asks Liz to be his date for a Hapsburg prince, Jenna sneaks into the party to try to seduce said prince, and Tracy throws a party so Pete can get some.

This has to be the nerdiest set up for a sitcom episode ever. Has the Defenestration of Prague ever been mentioned on a TV show before? The main joke is that the Hapsburg’s tendency for inbreeding left them with a monstrous prince as the last of their line.

But the real focus of the episode is the relationship between Jack and Liz and Jack’s ex-wife. Jack, apparently, only sleeps with models and other assorted hotties because he’s afraid of love and commitment after his “surprisingly age-appropriate” ex-wife left him.

I only refer to Jack as John and it is weird!

Jack pretends Liz is his live-in girlfriend to save face, but then Bianca tells Liz how unhappy this makes her. She says, “I can take the models, the Rockettes to Shakira, because ultimately I know they are going to leave him, but you? You can actually make him happy and that makes me want to sit on a knife.”

She also proclaims, “I can tell from the way he looks at you that he’s serious.”

Confession time. When I started “30 Rock,” I really wanted Jack and Liz to get together. I’ve heard that Alec Baldwin also wanted this, and you can sort of see it in his acting.

YOU GUYS ARE SO GOOD-LOOKING.

This episode both plays with the idea while also mocking it. Jack keeps telling Liz that she’s not his type — he dates models — and every time something sort of romantic-ish might happen, it’s played for laughs.

“30 Rock” also isn’t the type of show that’s interested in a slow-burn romance. This isn’t “The Office.” Jack and Liz actually getting together would only be weird. I’ll discuss this more eloquently when I get to season 7.

I was just discussing “When Harry Met Sally” with one of my best friends — who’s a man — so this episode is a really good counter to that movie. WHMS is one of my absolute favorite movies, but I don’t think its “Men and women can’t be friends thing is true.” I also hate the way Harry explains that philosophy. According to Harry, those friendships don’t work because obviously the men will want to sleep with any women they spend time with. It’s a gross way to speak about men.

Liz and Jack are the proof that this isn’t true, and as Jack will say in six seasons, something happening between the duo would have cheapened what they had.

But can you blame me for sort of wanting it to happen?

Bits & Pieces

Will Forte is amazing as the Prince’s body man/announcer/thing.

Character I related to most: Liz, when she was upset that she’d have to wear high heels to the birthday party. Down with foot oppression!

Pete does a crazy disturbing Elmo impression.

Best Jenna one-liner:

Liz: Maybe I’m Cinderella this time.

Jenna: No Liz, Cinderella is blonde.

At one point the music Tracy plays has no words, but the captions gave lyrics. It was weird.

[…] YOU ARE MY ALEXANDER HAMILTON.” Liz, who has frequently not gotten historical references — like all the ones Jack made to the Hapsburgs — doesn’t understand this one either, which is sad because it is AN AMAZING REFERENCE. TJ […]